What are my rights as a working carer?
Your rights in work come from two sources:
- The law gives you ‘statutory rights’ which everyone has.
- Your contract of employment gives you ‘contractual rights’ which can be more generous than statutory rights.
In this section, we provide guidance about your statutory and contractual rights as a working carer. It's always worth checking your contract of employment, staff handbook, HR policies or letter of appointment to see if you have any contractual rights on top of your statutory rights.
Note: For further information about your general rights, see the gov.uk website.
For a summary of your statutory rights, you can also take a look at our factsheet, Your rights in work.
Find out more about your rights at work
Latest updates

Thousands of carers receiving new debt letters as review into Carer’s Allowance overpayments continues
The number of carers facing overpayment debts continues to rise.

Carers UK responds to the Government’s publication of the welfare reform green paper proposing changes to disability and health benefits
“We are very concerned that the plans the Government has published today could hit unpaid carers, disabled people and their…

Carers Scotland calls for urgent action to tackle Scotland’s growing mental health crisis for unpaid carers
Press release for ‘State of Caring in Scotland 2024: Health and social care support for unpaid carers’.

Carers NI's response to the NI Programme for Government
Carers are invisible and ignored in the NI Executive’s Programme for Government say Carers NI.
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